SPC President Bill Law Announces Resignation

PINELLAS COUNTY – St. Petersburg College President Bill Law announced Tuesday (Nov. 15) that he will resign, effective July 1.

Law, 68, made the announcement at SPC’s board of trustees meeting

“It’s been my pleasure to serve,” Law said.

In the coming weeks, the board will outline the process to ensure a smooth transition to new leadership. Faculty and staff were notified by email after the meeting.

“President Law has been instrumental in creating an environment at the college where student success is paramount,” board Chair Lauralee Westine said. “While his leadership and friendship will be missed by our college community, our focus on student achievement will not waiver. We will be ever grateful for Dr. Law’s transformative dedication to St. Petersburg College.”

Law became St. Petersburg College’s sixth president on June 7, 2010. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from LeMoyne College and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Design and Management of Postsecondary Education from Florida State University.

Law previously served as president of Tallahassee Community College and Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Ill., and was the founding president of Montgomery College in suburban Houston. In his current and previous positions, Law has been well known as an advocate of economic and workforce development, student success and community outreach. He currently serves on multiple local, state and national boards.

His effort to increase student success has allowed him to work at state and national levels and has provided opportunities such as consulting with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Aspen Institute, providing expert testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives, and serving as a member of the Florida Task Force on Community College Baccalaureate Education. Law also serves as the co-chair of the SPC Strategic Issues Council, the core team for the Achieving the Dream Initiative.

Law was a vocal champion of the creation of the Douglas L. Jamerson, Jr. Midtown Center, which opened in St. Petersburg in August, 2015 to high acclaim for its community focus and commitment to providing educational equity.

Under Law’s leadership and guidance, SPC was selected as one of only 30 community colleges in the nation to participate in the prestigious Pathways Project led by the American Association of Community Colleges. He also ushered in the College Experience, which was awarded the Chancellor’s Best Practices Award in 2014 and recognized as a Model of Excellence by University Business magazine in 2015 for its effectiveness in improving student success rates, particularly among First-Time-In-College students and especially FTIC minority males.

During his tenure at St. Petersburg College, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Eta Rho chapter, named him the 2012 Citizen of the Year. In 2013, the Chronicle of Higher Education featured him in a report that was part of a series called The Idea Makers: Ten Tech Innovators.

“We are a better college because you came here. I remember your interview, here on this campus and you promised us that you were going to get certain things done…and you’ve done that,” Gibbons said. “I appreciate you and all that you’ve done.”

In a letter he presented to Board Chair Westine, Law said that his “six and one-half years here has been fulfilling and rewarding” and assured the board he would do everything in his power “to facilitate the process of finding the next president.”

“I only have good feelings for the work we’ve accomplished,” Law said. “For all of us there’s a time to move on.”